Ejector-closure for collapsible tubes



July 27, 1954 J. W. PORTER, JR

EJECTOR-CLOSURE FOR COLLAP SIBLE TUBES Filed Sept. 17, 1952 45.

Patented July 27, 1954 OFFICE EJECTOR-(JLUSURE FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES.lohn W. Porter, Jr., Muskogee, Okla.

Application September 17, 1952, Serial No. 310,050

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to collapsible paste, cream and painttubes, and is directed particularly to improvements in the closure meansfor the same.

In connection with the use of collapsible tubes such as those with toothpaste, shaving cream and the like, the use of the conventional completely removable cap for closing the discharge mouth of the tube isresponsible for considerable annoyance to users by reason of the factthat it usually takes both hands to either remove the cap or put it backon the tube, that is one hand holds the tube while the other hand isused to take on or put on the cap and also the cap must be picked up orlaid down before or after handling the tooth brush or shaving brush orother instrument or means used to apply the tooth paste or shavingcream. In other words, ordinarily in using a conventional tube or capthere are three separate items to handle, the tube, the cap, and thebrush, each requiring a hand to handle, and so one item must be put downbefore another item can be handled. In the present invention there areonly two items to handle, the tube and the brush, as the tube can beopened and/or closed while being held in one hand. A conventional capalso is frequently dropped or lost, or the user forgets or neglects toreplace it on the tube in which event some of the contents of the tubedries and hardens in the tube opening and has then to be picked out orcleaned out before the tube can be properly used again.

In the present invention the tube can be opened, operated and closedwith one hand, quickly and easily. In some tube closures or dispensingvalves already patented the valve closes with a great deal of frictionsurface in action. which requires too much pressure or squeezing on thetube. In some other such closures or dispensing valves already patentedthe valve plunger or shaft carries out some of the ejected tube contentsin operation and thus requires too much care and effort on the part ofthe user to clean off the shaft after each using so that the shaft willnot cake up with tube contents and become inefiicient or unusable. Inthese patents usually the shaft operates loosely through the sameopening through which the tube contents are ejected. In some other suchclosures or dispensing valves already patented there is a passagewaybetween the valve seat and the outside, and the unused tube contents insuch passageway is exposed to the air and will after several usins'sgradually harden and cake up and the passageway accordingly will be 0bstructed preventing further efiicient use without being repeatedlypicked out or cleaned out.

In the light of the foregoing it is a primary object of the presentinvention to provide a dispensing cap and incorporated valve for tubesof the character stated, which cap and incorporated valve is so designedthat the discharge mouth becomes automatically closed after apredetermined amount of the tube contents has been ejected from the tubeso that the user may then put the tube away without having to botherwith replacing a cap thereon.

A further novel feature of the present invention is to provide adispensing cap which automatically closes after a predetermined amountof tube contents has been elected and which can be readily opened bypressing or plunging inwardly upon a projecting portion of thestructure, following which the tube will become again automaticallyclosed when a predetermined amount of the contents has been ejected.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a structure ofthe above character, a novel outlet, or valve, and means for closing thesame whereby the simple and single act of drawing a tooth brush orshaving brush or the like across the outlet to pick up the ejectedcontents of the tube will completely remove all the paste from theoutlet so that no paste remains in or around the outlet or valve to dryand cake as in those types above mentioned that call for a passagewaybetween the valve seat and the out side or as in those types abovementioned wherein the valve shaft carries out some of the tube contentsin operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a structure ofthe above character, a novel outlet and means for the use thereofwhereby a relatively thin valve shaft with the least amount of frictionsurface operates and is actuated through but fits snugly but freely inan opening in the center of the valve seat, and a valve ball or valveplug that offers no friction in operation, and a valve ball or valveplug that is partly exposed in a seated position to insure a clean andsimple ejecting of tube contents, and a valve opening that has no depthor passageway to get obstructed with ejected tube contents that hardenon extended or repeated exposure to air.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a structure ofthe above character, a novel outlet and means for the use thereofwhereby one or more magnets are employed to keep the valve in a closedposition to prevent leakage in case the tube pressure or atmosphericpressure causes the valve to have a tendency to accidently open.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description of the same proceeds, and the invention will be bestunderstood from a consideration of the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of thespecification, with the understanding, however, that the invention isnot to be limited to the exact details of construction shown anddescribed since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled inthe art of design and construction.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of the device of the presentinvention applied to a conventional paste tube in substitution orreplacement 101" the conventional tube cap, the device being shown inthe shut-off condition in which it is left after the ejection of aportion of the tube contents.

Figure 2 is a sectional view similar to Figure 1 but showing a modifiedconstruction.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of the structure illustrated in Figure 1and looking toward the outlet opening of the device.

Figure l is a View in perspective of the shutoff element shown in themodified embodiment comprising Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing the numeral it generallydesignates the upper portion of a collapsible tube having the usualexternally threaded spout or nozzle i2 through which is formed thedischarge passage i i.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a cap itwhich is internally threaded as illustrated for threaded engagement uponthe outlet nozzle 52 of the tube in substitution for the usual orconventional threaded cap.

Formed integral with the cap it at the outer or top end thereof is theaxially extending circular head it which is of smaller overall diameterthan the cap it and is externally threaded as indicated at 23, for thepurpose about to be described.

The top of the cap it has an opening or recess 22 therein which is ofthe same diameter as the passage and aligns with the passage when thecap is threaded onto the nozzle as shown, and the opening 22 leads intoa substantially semi-- spherical socket 2 5 which is formed in the headl8, having a diameter slightly smaller than recess 22 and passage i i.

Formed transversely of the side of the head it is an angular recessWhich has one flat wall face Elia which is parallel with the axialcenter of the passage it and the opening 22, and the right angularlydisposed bottom wall face which is perpendicular to the face 25a.

The intersecting planes of the faces 25a and 2611 cut through the upperpart of the socket 2 3 to form the paste discharge opening 3 which isdefined by two joining arcuate edges as will be readily apparent uponreference to Figure 3 where one of such edges is clearly illustrated inthe vertical face 2%, it bein understood that the other of such arcuateedges is formed in the flat horizontal or right angularly disposed face261).

The numeral designates a valve ball which is of a diameter to seat inthe semi-spherical socket and it will be seen upon reference to Figure 1that when the ball is seated in the socizet a portion of it will projectthrough the outlet opening 28 and will tightly close the opening as thesurface of the ball will conform to the curvature of the two joinededges of the opening.

The top of the head i8 is provided with a suitable axial passage at 32through which freely slides a stem 34, the lower end of which is screwthreaded as illustrated.

The ball 30 has a threaded diametrical passage or bore 36 therethroughthrough which the threaded end of the stem 3i extends.

The outer end of the stem 3 is secured, as shown, in the center of thetop of a second cap which is generally designated 38, the top of the capbeing designated 38a and the interior of the cap being screw threaded asindicated at it.

The stem extends axially and securely through the cap 3-8.

As will be readily apparent the cap 35 is adapted to thread onto thehead it] so as to cover the angular recess 25 in the bottom corner ofwhich the opening 28 appears. While this cap is provided to cover theoutlet opening it also functions as a push button to facilitate themovement of the valve ball 38 back away from the socket 2d through thepassage is and to the interior of the tube.

The parts it and 38 may be made of any suitable material but arepreferably formed of plastic. Also the ball 38 may be made of anysuitable materlal, as well as the valve stem In the use of the deviceafter the ball 35 has been pushed down into the tube, when the tube iscompressed some of the paste contents thereof will be forced out throughthe passage ill and the outlet opening 28 and in such movement the valveball will be forced into the passage and then will be caused to seat inthe socket When the ball becomes thus seated it will tightly close theoutlet opening and the material forced out through the opening can thenbe removed by drawing the tooth brush, shaving brush or whatever otherbody is employed for picking up the discharged paste, across the angularrecess 2! across the exposed portion of the valve ball. B this actionthe material will be completely wiped off from the ball and from aroundthe discharge opening so that none of the paste will remain to hardenand clog the opening. When more of the paste is desired the user pressesthe cap 3 3 to force the stem 3 and the ball inwardly so that theprocess can be repeated.

It will be noted that the threaded portion of the stem 3% is of such anextent that the ball can be adjusted within certain limits on the stemby this means some regulation can be had of the quantity of pasteejected from the opening 23.

in order to insure the tight retention of the valve tell on the socketseat or bottom 2 where temperature changes might cause a slightunseating or the ball, the ball might be made of a suitable magnetizablemetal the top portion of the head may have embedded therein a suitablemagnet at which, when the ball is seated in the socket by the pressureof the paste, will hold the ball in this position.

In Figure 2 a slightly modified form of the invention is illustrated. Inthis construction the tube is designated Eta and the discharge nozzle isdesignated its. The dispenser device comprises the cap 25a and upon itsouter end the head lta which is of smaller diameter than the cap andthreaded as indicated at 28a in the same manner as the part shown inFigure 1. Likewise the outer end of the cap I611 is provided with theopening 22a which joins the passage Ma of the tube nozzle and in thehead at the outer end of the opening 22a is a semi-spherical seat orsocket 24a.

Formed across the side of the head 58a is the angle slot 26' which likethe slot 26 has one face 26" which parallels the axis of the passage Maand the right angularly disposed face 26". The angle formed by theintersection of these faces cuts into the socket 2 8a thus forming adischarge opening corresponding to the opening 28. In this construction,however, the longitudinal face 25 is somewhat farther removed from theaxial center of the passage so that the semi-spherical valve element 30adoes not protrude to the same extent through the outlet opening as doesthe valve ball 39 in the opening 28.

The top of the head I812 has a passage 32a through which extends a stem34a, the inner end of which is threaded through the shut-off or valveelement 30a as shown.

Upon the outer end of the stem Ma is a button 38 which corresponds tothe cap 38. This button 38 is employed in the same manner as the cap 30for facilitating the movement of the shut-off member 30a inwardly butdoes not provide any covering means for the outlet or discharge opening,but a conventional cap may be used when it is desired to pack the tubein a suitcase for travel etc.

While in the modified form of the invention shown in Figure 2 no showinghas been made of a magnet for holding the shut-off element 30a seated itis to be understood that such element may be formed of metal and thatsuch magnet means may be employed, if desired, for the same purpose asdescribed in connection with the first described form of the invention.

In addition to the foregoing it is to be pointed out that while theinvention has been described as comprised in a structure designed to beapplied to the threaded nozzle of a paste tube after the removal of theconventional cap therefrom, the invention contemplates the incorporationof the invention as a permanent part of the nozzle structure.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the presentinvention provides a means for dispensing a measured quantity of pastefrom the collapsible tube and in addition such means functions as ashut-off which can be left in such shut-off condition until more of thecontents of the tube is desired and at the same time none of the tubecontents is left to dry around the outlet or discharge opening.

It will also be seen that cap 38 and button 38 act and operate as ananchor to keep the valve stem and. valve ball or plug from being lostinside the tube.

I claim:

1. In an ejector-closure attachment for collapsible tubes, including thedischarge neck of the tube, a hollow cylindrical body open at both endsthreaded on said neck, a hollow cylindrical extension at the outer endof said body having lesser diameter, said extension being closed at itsouter end and open at its inner end, the interior of said extensionbeing of a diameter equal to that of the passage through said neck, astem depending through the center of the closed end of said extensionand the said passage through the neck, a spherical valve element carriedon the lower end of said stem, the inner surface of the outer endportion of the interior of said extension being semi-spherical in shapeto provide a seat for said valve element, said extension having adischarge outlet opening laterally outward through its side in line withsaid seat, and means on the outer end of said stem for manipulating thesame to affect movement of said valve element into and out of engagementwith said seat, the movement of said valve element toward the seatacting to forcibly eject a portion of the content of the tube that ispresent in the neck outward through said outlet.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, with the said means comprising acap threaded on said extension to close said outlet while supportingsaid valve element spaced inwardly from the inner end of the passagethrough said neck, so that a portion of the content of the tube can beforced into the said passage for subsequent ejectment through the outletupon removal of the cap and its manipulation to draw the valve elementthrough the passage and against said seat, said valve element closingsaid outlet when it is engaged with said seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,897,043 Ellis Feb. 14, 1933 2,502,821 Brauner Apr. 4, 19502,555,907 Venard June 5, 1951 2,628,005 Keeshan Feb. 10, 1953

